“Uh...” Simon held out his hand awkwardly, clearly surprised at this new informality after years away from her parents.
Her father ignored his outstretched hand to pull him into a bear hug.
The sight almost made her laugh. She knew how uncomfortable Simon was in social situations, while her father was the complete opposite. That had been one of the reasons she was still nervous about this dinner. Her parents were always welcoming, but there was bound to be some tension with so many personalities in the house.
When her father released him, he adjusted his thick glasses as he stared down at the bottle of Champagne in Simon’s hands. “That fancy bottle of booze for me?” her father asked with a gleam in his eye.
“It’s a gift from us to you and Mrs. Monroe,” Simon said, handing it over.
Her father whistled when he stared at the label on the bottle. “This is some pricey stuff, Simon. Thank you so much. And thank you as well, Heather. Kids, I really appreciate this. Hang on. Where are my manners? Please, come on in.”
Simon tucked her arm in his in a gentlemanly manner and she smiled at him. Together, they trailed after her father as he led them into the living room.
The living room was lovingly decorated by her mother, a shabby-chic quality to the décor. Her mother loved finding old stuff and reviving it, which had always given her parents’ house a homey, lived-in feel.
They found her mom chatting with Finn in the living room. Mom was dressed in a floral apron and hanging on to Finn’s every word. As always, Heather’s heart swelled at the sight of her mother getting along with Finn. She had the most loving parents in the world, and they were the ones who gave her hope that maybe Gary would come around and be the father Finn deserved.
She sat down next so Simon on the plush floral sofa while her father joined Finn and her mother on the opposite sofa.
“Look what Heather and Simon brought us, Sophie,” her father said.
Her mom’s eyes lit up when she saw the bottle. “Oh, this will go perfectly with the chicken I’ve got in the oven. Good heavens, I haven’t even said hello to you two.” Her mother turned to them and smiled. “Aren’t you two a cozy couple? Oh, look, Bob. Look how he holds her hand.”
Heather felt her cheeks heat when she looked down to see that, yes, her hand really was joined with Simon’s. Her mother’s fussing over them was already making her slightly embarrassed. “Dinner smells wonderful, Mom.”
“Thank you, dear.” Her mother smiled. “It’s so great for us to all get together like this. Bob and I have missed you, Simon. Well, that’s nothing compared to how much Heather missed you.”
“Mom.” Her cheeks were practically on fire now.
Simon chuckled beside her. “I’ve missed you all, too. The happiest times of my life were when I spent time with you and Heather.”
Her mother placed a hand over her heart, her eyes shining. “Did you hear that, Bob? Oh, aren’t you sweet! Speaking of happy times, do you remember the time Heather tripped into that puddle in our backyard and you got a photo of it, Simon?”
Finn started laughing and that was when Heather knew she had to nip the story in the bud. If they weren’t careful, her mother was going to talk their ears off and bring up even more embarrassing childhood details that Heather did not want to revisit in front of her boyfriend.
“We don’t need to go over that, Mom,” Heather said quickly.
“But Heather, these are priceless childhood memories.” A mischievous glint flashed in Simon’s blue eyes and she groaned. He looked like he was enjoying this story way too much, but he cleared his throat and leaned forward. “Do you need help with anything in the kitchen?”
“Don’t tell me he cooks as well,” her mother gushed. “Rich, handsome, cooks.”
“I’m not much of a cook, I’m afraid,” Simon said. “Maybe I could help cutting up some vegetables or something?”
“I do need help with a salad.” Her mother stood up and smiled. “Follow me, Simon. We have so much to catch up on.”
Heather’s apprehension started to dissipate. They seemed to be hitting it off, and as Simon and her mother disappeared from the living room she hoped that they would continue to get along in the kitchen. Simon seemed relaxed, which meant that maybe this dinner would turn out to be a success. Suddenly she realized with Simon and her mother out of earshot, her mother could regale him with even more embarrassing childhood stories and there was nothing Heather could do to stop her.